Event Review: Lights in the Hollow

[Viv]

So I played for, like, two hours and my only combat was the final mod.

Pros:

+ did not have an allergic reaction to the ground, good job guys
+ did not slap Wizwik in the face, but did attempt to beat him to death with his own weapon
+ Ferdouz cursing the green smoke from interrupting his potential soliloquy
+ got some personal objectives done
+ great company and conversations even if you're all magic-addicted heathens

Mids:

o The Gnomish negative means I don't want to directly ask, "Do I see something magical?" I try to ask questions like "is there something glowing on you" or "does it look visibly different from an ordinary thing". The negative means it's up to me/Viv to interpret if she will react to the perceived magical item.

I'm not sure how to go around this without constantly asking my sideways OOG questions (it's common for Jericho PCs to wear a MAGICAL healing potion around their neck), plus it gets tiring to ask this for every single person I meet. I am open to suggestions on how to improve this.

o I know five words/phrases in Gnomish, and four of them are not fit for polite company. Conversational Gnomish, I do not speak.

Cons (that the Shapers/playerbase can control):

- Losing my spear physrep.

Also a rules reminder; If you are skulduggering someone's rep , bring it to NPC camp or grab a shaper to come remove the tag.
It doesn't have to be immediately ,but remember that player may not have a second rep to use.

I was willing to suck up my missing spear as stolen goods and honestly thought it was a Ralinwood policy on cheap boffers for the thief to keep them. (It's a pretty identifiable weapon IMO, much shorter than other spears.)

Thanks to everyone, especially Shane, for finding it. When I'm stressed out I don't ask for help and convince myself to deal with it in my own fashion.

- First Aid/Stabilize

Viv was dropped into bleed count and dragged away. As the monster carried her off, someone touched her and said, "Stabilize."

I assume stabilize means this (it's been over a year, maybe two, since I've used physician abilities, and it doesn't come up in the rulebook search).

First Aid

Allows the user to bind wounds sufficiently to stop bleeding and heal some minor wounds. The process takes 1 minute to use and as long as it is being used, the target's 1-minute bleed count is halted. All living entities are considered valid targets of this skill. If First Aid is interrupted during the process, or if the wounded target moves or is moved in any way, the skill fails and the wounded target must continue their 1-minute bleed count from where they left off. First Aid may be attempted again if the interruptions have ceased and the target made immobile. After a successful 1 minute of First Aid, the wounded target is healed to zero Body, bringing them to unconsciousness and halting their bleeding.

Physician Level 1: Barber

The Physician may perform First Aid on a moving target and as soon as First Aid has started, extends the bleed count of that target by an extra 1 minute.

I am fairly certain Viv bled out, but I'll take the not-dying thing.

- I found the instructions when dragged off into the woods very confusing. That could be just me and my poor aural memory skills, because I remember at least three sentences of instructions, then tried to reconcile them with Viv's abilities, then promptly forgot at least one of the sentences, then went "damn it people are coming just go with what you remember", then screwed that up... It frustrated me more to spend at least two minutes trying to figure out what to do, then the problem being "solved" in about ten seconds.

[Liamhain]

Pros:
+ Getting to RP with PCs, landing a sick burn on Zaydesh :3
+ Seeing the one ghost during the day, since I usually miss night-time ghosts
+ Sneaking through the high grass during the fae mod, seeing the end and trying to relay that info to the top of the hill
+ All the backstory plot going on
I apologize in advance for anything my grey draconian daughter does to town...

Cons:
- Crazy lightning storm and armoured PCs wandering around in it
- Mod sites that are too dark for safe combat, several minor injuries could have been avoided Sat night

Overall I had a good time and look forward to coming back to our Dragon dump town

[Granyte the Ogre]

Wow, where oh where to start? Lets do this by the day shall we?

Pros -

Friday Night -
- NPC Team, you guys are fantastic. I love to try and get the Friday Night shift because it makes it so much easier to get into game without having to constantly keep an eye on the time. From the moment I walked into NPC camp to the second I was done, everything was perfectly streamlined, and ready to go. I loved having my opinions, even as "just a shiftie" taken into consideration and how things went out. From the Merchants selling weapons and armor to the "Boogeyman", I enjoyed every role I went out on.
- Special moments that I will forever remember.
- Hollander and Brittany discussing the "stats" for the Boogeyman and being told what I could do...I was terrified, and I was the one playing it.
- Angela and her masterful makeup skills, to the point that we had to tell Dad to turn away because it was that good/bad.
- Eating Dreams! I felt bad for a split second when I caught someone in their tent with their light on (You know who you are) #SorryNotSorry
- Looking in the back window of the Guiding Lights cabin, seeing Maxi and Namour. Having them smile and wave "Oh hello there, do not worry Namour, we have a lock" "Fae Walk 1" "OH SH*T RUN"
- The Ants go marching one by one! Oh look, a box, run!

Saturday -
- Becoming a Warden! That was a goal I had been working on since I came to Ralinwood, so it was fun to finally achieve it.
- Missing most of the Mage's mod due to having to arrest people for attacking a Grey Draconian and then finding out they are Berphauntian Soldiers, oh goody.
- GORILLA! Going absolutely APESH*T (Pun intended) on the Orcs in the Mages Mod, having Ralinwood citizens try to barter the sale of the Gorilla for the Orcs to leave, and then just beating my chest in frustration when people didn't understand me. Next step, Gorilla Sign Language
- Hanging out at Emberside with Sevatar and crew. I don't think I stopped laughing for over an hour.
- "Hey Riven, hows Wade?"
- Fae Plot! I am going to write more at the bottom because this one was big.
- Impromptu NPC Shift was a blast, having Ramsay take my idea on someones personal plot and give the big thumbs up made me feel special.

Sunday -
- More NPC impromptu shifts, had a blast as Wakeup Kobolds and as "Ze BEST Merchant vis ZE BEST coif!" I might play an Aja next.
- Being told by Brittany to "PC Up" and coming back into town with the waves was a hoot. Seeing towns reactions like "Ummm is that Lam? Oh no...what do we do? Aaand hes dead...no wait! Hes up!"
- Being suspended from the Wardens because of all the lives lost on the Fae Mod. I count this as a Pro because ITS ROLEPLAY, ROLE WITH IT! (Get it? Come on, that is a pun worthy of Alex...don't judge)

Cons!
- I don't have much to say for cons except this...

ANYONE WHO IS NOW OR WILL EVER BE AN NPC SHIFTIE PLEASE READ!

Shoshana spent a majority of Friday Night trying to reorganize the NPC Gear. Masks, Tabards and all other sorts of costuming all got mixed together and made it real difficult to send out mods in a timely manner. Please PLEASE PLEASE remember this and when you are done with a piece of costume, put it back where you got it from, not just "on a random pile on a table".
Also, I do not know how many times I heard people (Angela and Ivanna mainly) screaming at the entirety of NPC camp to keep it down. PCs are sometimes right outside the door and sounds carry. We don't want to give away something by mistake or cause someone to accidently metagame by hearing something they shouldn't. Please remember to keep your voices to a minimum so that everyone can have an enjoyable time.
Also also, a personal pet peeve and I know sometimes it can be hard to remember, but we are using a military site, there are certain rules and regulations that are expected to be upheld even at events that are not connected with the actual park. Hats on inside the "NPC Camp" is seen as disrespectful and rude. Please try to keep all headgear off when inside.


With all of that, FAE PLOT!

- So I personally LOVED this mod, it had a perfect mix of terror and challenge. Yes, people died, it sucks but that is the point, people die all the time and we need to learn to run with it and work against it happening. Remember, as good as we get, NPCs will get better otherwise there will never be a challenge. If I walk into a mod and know that there is no risk of me dying I lose the thrill of the battle and the game. I expect every fight to be Lam's last. On that note, yes, we were lied to IN GAME. The fae manipulated a group of us with promises of riches and we were ambushed. Again, it happens. Lam just happened to be the voice of that particular mod and if people are wanting to lynch him because of it I will go with it but I will remind people that if I had not been the one to lead the fight, someone else would have. Remember, Lam and Lilith both walked through the gate together. Also, noone is forced to go on ANY mod they do not want to. If you feel that you have lost all love for all mods because of that one, then I feel sorry for you but I will continue to go on any and all mods I can because that is my choice. Also, keep in mind that if we chose to ignore every mod, then NPC camp can go about it as if noone showed up to stop whatever was going on and we might have bigger and badder enemies come to town. So rather then whining because you took a death, or because it was an "unfair fight" just remember that not all fights in life are fair, and THAT is what causes the game to become more real.

Thank you NPC camp, Shapers, and Brittany for such an amazing, funpacked, and challenging weekend. I look forward to what this season holds.

[Juniper]

- Getting yelled at by a NPC only for them to realize they had the wrong PC
- Wade came out and said hello (even if I couldn't see him)
- Roleplay with so many different PCs (and people thinking I was actually crying, success!)
- Refusing a Dark Pact and having someone come up to me and say they were so proud of me when I lay there dying.


Mid:

- Fae Mod - I actually thought this was a great mod that should have made people realize how disorganized their fighting was. Yes I died, my first actual Ralinwood game that wasn't a tavern night and I died. But I don't blame the NPCs. I have seen past battles before and believe the amount of deaths that happened could have been avoided if PCs had been bettered organized. As a healer I was shoved in front of the front lines several times and PCs refused to let me move behind them. Maybe there should be some Daelrion followers in town to teach us how to fight.


Cons:
- Making Blank sad when I died in his arms

[Leodin Stormhammer]

Oh man, was this a kickass event.  I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch of shit, but here's what I can recall:

Awesome moments:
+ "What kind of camp name is 'Svenheim'?"

+ God. Damn. Redcaps.
+ Trying to shoo two bunnies back into the forest:
   "Come on ye rascals, back to the woods."
   "You are not prepared."
   "...Wot?"
+ 2 AM Murkers.
   "Look, just get out 'n' le' us sleep!"
   "Alchemical Gas Globe Sleep."
   "...Got it." *flump*
+ Going out as shitty bandits.  May Reginald the Bandit live on in eternity.
+ "If you're going to rob my campmate, can you at least do it a little quieter?"
+ "Son...I need some money."
+ "Son...I need some more money."
+ SNAAAAAAAAAAAAKES
+ Stalwart Trial: to everyone who was involved, thank you for that awesome moment.  I'll never forget those 3 minutes as long as I live.
+ Days since Charmed/Dominated/Puppeted: 0
+ Lilith's Augury.  Such excellent RP, the solemnity was palpable!
+ That Fae mod, though: I barely made it out alive, the tension was thick in the air, I used every trick I had: all in all, exactly what I come to Underworld for.
+ After the chaos that was the Fae mod, the organisation on the Minotaur mod was phenomenal: good work, all!
+ "OGRE SMASH!"
   "Got it, Resist!"
   "OGRE SMASH!"
   "...Got it, Resist!"
   "OGRE SMASH!"
   "GOT. IT. RESIST."
+ Sunday morning mind-controlled folks!  Nice RP from the freed NPCs, guys!
+ Getting to use 9/10 possible Battlefield Repairs.  Frags well spent.
+ Merchant NPCs!  Loved seeing the unique characters that come out to trade.
+ Trading all my Repair Kits away, because seriously, what are these even for.
+ Vlad constantly bugging me about my smithing: One day, you son-of-a-bitch, one day.
+ Mellowmarshes!


Less awesome moments:
- None that come to mind at the moment!

Thank you again to all the awesome NPCs and Shapers, and to the PCs that helped me achieve a year-long goal.  Good feels all around ^_^

[Ancel Belmont]

Good game all! Ralinwood continues to impress this travelling Jerichonian.

UPS (in no particular order)
- Player reactions to "Hey, that Minotaur seemed pretty... beefy..."
- Fighting with Gorilla Lamalas over a mangled Orc corpse for who gets the killing blow.
- 1v1ing an Orc.
- Finally soaking a slay with my new shield!
- Hearing bandits opening your tent "I wouldn't do that if I were you" they reply "Sorry, wrong tent" and leave.
- Dragon camp!


DOWNS (in no particular order)
- Fae mod. Very disorganized. Felt like I was back home in Jericho.


MIDDLES (in no particular order)
- Getting a curse mark. Excited and scared at the same time.
- Rinn almost dying. Great roleplay enhancement, but at the same time Rinn almost died...

[Promises]

Draaaaagon Caaaaaaaamp

[Nylon]

I forgot one.
"Aw shucks!" was probably my favorite thing all weekend. I was just tired and forgot it happened.

[Promises]

I was reminded of a moment with Alec and Sev where the exchange ended with,
"Plan?"
"Make them pay for it".

It was awesome having a battle that was that hard, that the real last stands start to come out.

[Carrion]

The Good
- I'm biased by love of folklore and think all fae stuff is great so I'm unreasonably okay with it dominating the plot. The true fae NPCs were especially fun to interact with.
- All the ghost plot, even though it dragged me out of bed when I was trying to sleep. Campbell has been doing a really great job setting the ground work up between games and then dragging others into it this weekend. Hoping I can gather all the freshly branded folks together and update them on the info we know so far IG soon.
- First time getting to be involved in mage plot. That was a fun mod. However we may need to put Lilith on a kiddie leash until she learns to look with her eyes and not her hands.
- My NPC shift was highly enjoyable. The people prepping me were great at going over my stats because I'm garbage at remembering the lists they read off to me and some players gave gentle reminders during the fae mod that were appreciated. When you're a newish player and even newer to NPCing, screwing up counts or abilities can be stressful, so people being chill with their corrections was really appreciated.
- Just the general RP this game? I had a lot of good conversations.

The Less Good
- I don't really have any complaints? I was incredibly burned out after the big fight on saturday night, though I blame that more on the fact that I'm falling apart at any given moment and struggle to pace myself during busy evenings.

Personal Highlights
- The response to Riven's augury on my behalf. SEND OUT THE ELF.
- Dan's dark fae, both costume/makeup and RP wise.
- Hawkespur's parting words to Carrion.
- Fin's conscience just wandering around his dream giving life advice. The sobering moment when you discover the person directing your through rituals has to remind himself not to eat his own fingers if consuming blue food.
- Falcon's raccoon.
- Baagh Juice.